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Congress Prevents Temporary Government Shutdown

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill approved a bill yesterday that would avoid a partial government shutdown come March 27.

By
a 318-109 vote, members of the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to
send President Barack Obama a bill funding the government until
September when the current fiscal year ends.

It also eases some of the sequester's $85 billion in forced spending cuts, CNN reported.

But the budget battles are far from over.

The
Republican-controlled House approved its 2014 budget crafted by U.S.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R, WI-1). The Senate, as a "political move," also voted
on the plan, which failed.

U.S. Rep. Tammy
Duckworth (D, IL-8) was one lawmaker who delivered remarks on the House
floor opposing the Ryan budget and defending the guaranteed benefit of
Medicare.

"Medicare was created precisely because the private market failed to provide seniors with affordable and quality health care," she said. "Even
if senior citizens are able to find decent health insurance, they would
still have to pay $1,000 more a year for prescription drugs after the
Ryan budget reopens the donut hole. Overall their budget will force
seniors to pay $59,500 more in health costs during their retirement."

Senate Democrats are working on their own 2014 budget plan, which calls for $1
trillion in new tax revenues, shrinks the deficit by $1.85 trillion over
10 years and deactivates the sequester cuts. It dedicates $100 billion in
new spending to economic stimulus such as rebuilding roads, bridges and
schools. It also raises $975 billion in tax revenue by eliminating tax
deductions and loopholes that benefit the wealthy.